2001 Lotus Esprit

Description

2001 Lotus Esprit V8.
Many performance upgrades by the previous owner. 36,959 miles. One of 6 US-delivered cars in New Aluminum Metallic. Matching numbers engine.
Unfortunately the car has started overheating under boost. It can idle all day without an issue, but under acceleration the temp gauge will climb very quickly. It likely needs a new head gasket. I did a coolant pressure test and checked the coolant for combustion gases. Neither test was really conclusive, you would probably need to put it on a dyno and get enough sustained boost to replicate the issue. Or perhaps a leak down test would locate a leak. I have read on Lotus forums that a certain brand of aftermarket head gasket sold years ago were found to be defective.
I am on the fence about keeping the car or selling it with the overheating issue. If I had a great local Lotus mechanic I would lean towards fixing it, but that skillset seems to be in short supply around here.
The previous owner spent an enormous amount of money rebuilding the engine with forged pistons and any upgrades he could find. The transmission was rebuilt a couple years earlier and an LSD was installed. He also upgraded the suspension, ECU, radiator, installed a racing clutch, forge blow-off valves, K&N filter, and a custom stainless exhaust. I have many parts receipts, but unfortunately not much previous service history on the car. I have receipts from a $4k service I had done in 2019, mostly a number of small repairs made to inspect the car and make it reliable. These service records include a PPI performed at the time of service, I can provide the records to the buyer before final payment.
The car is incredibly fast, and makes a mean roar! I would guess it has over 400HP with the upgraded ECU and minimal exhaust. Personally I would suggest reverting the car to a factory ECU to protect the transaxle, or just never stomp on it.
Some other small issues include a small crack in the corner of the windshield (filled and stable), some wear on the clear 3M bra plastic, and a loose driver’s side mirror (new replacement mirror frame included). The tires have a lot of tread, but may be dated out if your inspection mechanic checks that. I spent a lot of money getting a check engine light related to emissions to clear. I may have seen a CEL since the repair, but I think the code I scanned was caused by keeping the battery disconnected rather than trickle charging. The previous owner removed the cats. If you are in a state that requires them on this model year please be prepared to install cats.
Included with the car is the tool kit, spare, owner’s manual, some parts/service receipts, and original exhaust diffuser. There is one ignition key and a couple new spare remotes and alarm programming keys.
The car has a clear PA title in my name. A non-refundable $500 deposit is required within 24 hours, and full payment within 7 days. The pickup timeline is relaxed, but please plan to pick up within 14 days or let me know if you need longer.
Please email with any questions!